CVE-2026-98450

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Server Message Block (SMB) client. This vulnerability can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) through resource exhaustion caused by unclosed remote file handles. When processing compound requests, an interrupted operation or synchronization failure causes previously opened file handles to be released without issuing a close command to the server. A local user can exploit this behavior during compound file operations to leave remote handles open indefinitely, potentially exhausting server connections and resources.

This vulnerability is rated as having a Low impact because exploitation requires existing local system access along with active CIFS/SMB client mounts, and the consequence is limited to accumulating unclosed handles on the remote file server rather than executing code or compromising kernel memory. In default Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments, the CIFS kernel module is not loaded unless an administrator explicitly mounts a remote network share. Consequently, environments that do not interact with SMB file systems are not exposed to this resource exhaustion issue.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.